Caroline Remembers John

11/27/1998 at 12:00 AM EST

Caroline Kennedy, speaking publicly about her late brother for the first time on Tuesday, remembered John Kennedy Jr. "John took his work and his commitments seriously, but always brought laughter to the enterprise at hand," said Caroline, who spoke at a New York breakfast for the Robin Hood Foundation, a pet charity of John's (he was a co-founder) that raises money to feed the poor. "He was determined to set his own course and live his own life," said his sister, "and I think this is one of the qualities that people most admired about him."